Casablanca has L’Boulevard. Tangier has officially entered jazz mode.
The 23rd edition of Tanjazz begins today, September 18, turning Tangier into one of Morocco’s main cultural destinations for the weekend.
Running through September 20, the festival brings together jazz with sounds ranging from soul and funk to flamenco and Cuban music, continuing Tanjazz’s tradition of treating “jazz” as a starting point rather than a strict genre rule.
And opening night already has plenty going on.
The programme includes internationally recognized performers such as Dee Dee Bridgewater and Rodrigo y Gabriela, alongside Gisele Jackson & The Brooklyn Souls, The Haggis Horns and other musicians spread across the festival’s stages.
But Tanjazz isn’t designed to exist only behind ticket barriers.
Part of the festival spills into Tangier itself through public performances and activities, including free programming around the city. That gives it a different energy from simply attending a concert: for three days, the festival becomes part of the atmosphere of Tangier.
And the timing couldn’t be better for Morocco’s cultural calendar.
While L’Boulevard is simultaneously taking over Casablanca, Tanjazz gives people in the north a completely different soundtrack for the same weekend.
If your algorithm has convinced you that Moroccan music events begin and end with rap festivals, this weekend is a pretty good reminder that the country’s live scene is much wider than that.
Casa has the mosh pits. Tangier has the jazz clubs. Morocco has plans.
